Jeep Comanche

Jeep-Based Pickup Still a Possibility, But not a Priority

Since the departure of the Jeep Comanche pickup more than 20 years ago, Jeep enthusiasts have been waiting for the return of a Jeep-based pickup. The automaker has even teased a new pickup with the Jeep Gladiator concept of 2005 and the Jeep J-12 concept that debuted at the 2012 Moab Easter Jeep Safari. Now, the head of the brand has hinted that a new Jeep pickup is still on the automaker’s radar.

"I remain a big fan of a Jeep pickup," Mike Manley, Jeep CEO and President, told The Detroit News earlier this year. "I think we have history that says it belongs in our portfolio."He went on to say: "At this moment in time, I have higher priorities. That doesn't mean to say that we don't work on it, we're not looking at it."Although there isn’t a Jeep pickup in FCA’s plans through the 2018 model year, development for the next 2017 Jeep Wrangler is currently underway. And while record sales of Ram pickups and Jeep SUVs suggest a Jeep-based pickup would be a strong seller, current production at the automaker’s plants where the Ram pickup, Dodge Durango and Jeep Grand Cherokee, and Jeep Wrangler are built, is already running at full capacity.A Wrangler-based pickup would make the most sense, given that a rebadged Ram 1500 would only cut into that pickup’s sales, and the Durango and Grand Cherokee are unibody SUVs. Additionally, a pickup based on the next-generation Jeep Wrangler could compete against the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon.Not only will the next-generation Jeep Wrangler remain body-on-frame, the automaker is purchasing more land around the Toledo Assembly Complex where the Wrangler is built. The purchase could be used to increase production capacity at the facility, possibly making room for a flexible assembly line to build a pickup.For those with a current Jeep Wrangler, AEV (American Expedition Vehicles) offers the Wrangler Brute Double Cab conversion.Source: The Detroit News